What a friend would tell you
What UD is looking for
UD offers EA, and applying early signals interest. The Honors College is the academic gateway for top students; apply to it. Chemical engineering and the Lerner College of Business are signature strengths. Reference them. The Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management (HRIM) program is nationally ranked and a differentiator. Show that you want UD for a specific program, not just because it's between Philadelphia and D.C.
What students wish they'd known
Newark is a small college town that empties out on weekends as many students go home (especially Delaware and surrounding-state residents). The commuter mentality weakens campus community. UD's reputation is strong regionally but doesn't carry far beyond the Mid-Atlantic corridor. The 70% four-year graduation rate is middling. Greek life (25%) is visible, and the social scene skews toward the party end for a school of this profile.
UD might be a fit if...
- You want a mid-size public research university with strong engineering, business, or hospitality programs between Philly and D.C.
- You're a Delaware or tri-state resident looking for strong value with merit scholarship potential
- You want a campus with college-town feel and easy access to multiple major cities by train
UD Admissions Strategy
Application Info
Plans: EA, RD
Deadlines: EA November 1 · RD January 15
Deadlines: EA November 1 · RD January 15
Test Policy
Test-optional
You choose whether to send scores. A strong score helps your case; a weak one is better left off.
Demonstrated Interest
Not Tracked
Not tracked. Skip the info-session circuit and put those hours into the application itself.
Interview
Not offered
Yield Rate
40%
40% of admits enroll, which is typical for a selective school. Waitlists here move every year.
Want the strongest possible application to UD, plus better odds and merit offers everywhere else you apply?
Join the free one-hour workshop from two Harvard grads who have helped 3,000+ students get in. Parents welcome.
Cost & Financial Aid at UD
$55,000
Sticker Price
$20,000
In-State Tuition
$11,000
Avg Merit Aid
Need-aware admissions. Meets 100% of demonstrated need. 89% receive financial aid.
For context: UD spends about $12,000 per student per year on instruction and student resources, right around the $15K national average.
What UD Graduates Get
$48,000
Avg Starting Salary
94%
Employed or in Grad School
70%
Graduate in 4 Years
The 4-year number is the on-time rate; the 6-year rate (82%) is the one schools usually advertise. A wide gap means many students pay for extra semesters.
UD Campus & Culture
The Campus
UD's 970-acre campus in Newark, Delaware (pop. 33,000) centers on the Green, a tree-lined mall flanked by Georgian brick buildings dating to the 1830s. Memorial Hall and Mitchell Hall anchor the north end. The STAR Campus, a 272-acre former Chrysler plant on the south side, houses the new health sciences and engineering buildings. Main Street runs along the campus edge with restaurants, shops, and bars. Philadelphia is 45 minutes northeast by car or train; D.C. and Baltimore are each about 90 minutes.
The Social Scene
Balanced social and academic, growing cultural scene, proximity to Philadelphia
UD Traditions & Trivia
Kissing Arches
The two stone arches flanking Memorial Hall date to when the North and South Greens housed separate men's and women's colleges; couples said goodnight here before curfew, and today students still treat a kiss under the arches as a campus rite.
Senior Fling
On the last Friday of classes, seniors and all UD students gather on the North Green for free food, inflatables, and a throwback concert.
Magnolia Fountain
When May comes, graduating seniors wade into the fountain on the South Green near Morris Library for photos, from proper daytime portraits to late-night jumping the moment the diploma feels real.
Academics at UD
What UD is known for
Hotel/hospitality management, engineering, business, graduate programs
Most popular majors at UD
Standout programs
Business, engineering, hospitality, life sciences
How the curriculum works
Core with majors across 6 colleges
Recommended high school courses
4 English, 4 Math, 3 Science, 3 Social Studies, 2 Foreign Language
Notable UD Alumni
Joe Biden
46th President, University of Delaware class of 1965
Chris Christie
Former New Jersey Governor, UD class of 1984
Dallas Green
MLB manager who led the Phillies to the 1980 World Series, UD alumnus
Elena Delle Donne
WNBA MVP and Olympic gold medalist, UD basketball
Rich Gannon
NFL MVP quarterback, UD class of 1987
If you like UD, also consider
University of Maryland
larger flagship with D.C. access and broader program range
Villanova University
private alternative near Philadelphia with stronger brand
University of Richmond
private mid-size option with D.C. proximity
James Madison University
Virginia public with similar size and college-town feel
Lehigh University
private engineering-strong option in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania